Parisian Coffee Wars

Actually it's not a 'war' but a test, and if it were a war, then the losers would be all the customers. I can't say all the coffee in Paris sucks, as the NYT article suggests, but in my experience it isn't very good. So I went to a little coffee shop I had read about, and then walked across the street to Starbucks for a comparison. It was not possible to visit every bistro in Paris to provide a full sampling, but I thought the comparison would be interesting. The results: both versions of 'cafe noisette' were weak, somewhat bitter and not satisfying. The Starbucks cost 2 euros (and you don't get a chocolate treat) versus 1 for the local. The beans from Lookout Joe's in Mt. Lookout, that's Ohio folks, make better coffee at home by far. Try the test yourself. But to be safe bring a pound or two from home next time you travel here.